Did Dak Prescott spit first? Cowboys QB explains 'Spitgate' incident that led to Jalen Carter ejection

Teddy Ricketson

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Did Dak Prescott spit first? Cowboys QB explains 'Spitgate' incident that led to Jalen Carter ejection image

There are times in sports when real life ends up imitating pop culture. "Star Wars" fans got a curious scenario on September 4, as the 2025 NFL season kicked off with the Dallas Cowboys facing the Philadelphia Eagles.

After the opening kickoff, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was surprisingly ejected before he even played a snap. Replay showed that he had spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott—an action that results in an immediate dismissal. Social media erupted, but later, another replay suggested that Prescott may have spat first.

The incident mirrored the famous "who shot first" debate from "Star Wars." In the original 1977 theatrical release, Han Solo and Chewbacca confront the bounty hunter Greedo in a cantina. Both draw their weapons, but Han Solo shoots first. When George Lucas released a special edition in 1997, one change made it appear that Greedo shot first, sparking decades of debate among fans.

Flash forward to 2025, and we now have to wonder, "Who spat first?" What a way to start the 2025 season. After the loss, the Cowboys QB had his post-game press conference, and he was, of course, asked about what led to the Carter ejection from his perspective. 

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Here is what Prescott said happened that caused Carter to get ejected. 

Did Dak Prescott spit at Jalen Carter first?

Unfortunately, we must address the issue of players spitting, mainly because you will now become acutely aware of how much players spit on the field while playing. The Eagles kicked off, and there was an injury on the field as Philadelphia fullback Ben VanSumeren was dealing with a knee injury. 

Then, Spitgate happened. While everyone focused on Carter spitting and hitting Prescott in the chest, a video released later shows an angle of Prescott spitting first. It isn't a great video, as we don't have a lot of the lead up. Reports suggest that Carter may have been getting in the face of one of Dallas' offensive linemen, and then Prescott spat. While it went forward in the direction of Carter, reports were that it didn't actually hit Carter and was just in his direction. Carter's revenge spit was more direct, and it cost him playing in the rest of the game. 

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What did Dak Prescott say about the Jalen Carter spitting incident?

In his post-game press conference, Prescott clarified that Carter was messing with Cowboys lineman Tyler Booker. The quarterback claimed "I guess I needed to spit. I wasn't going to spit on my linemen. I just spit ahead." In Prescott's defense, that is what the video shows, but he doesn't discuss the fact that he gave a head nod toward Carter and started smiling.

Prescott said that he was offended that Carter suggested he tried to spit on him, but at least from the addition of the head nod and smile afterwards, it looked like Prescott was trying at the very least to taunt his opponent. 

The NFL will be conducting an investigation into Spitgate. Carter was already ejected from the matchup, but could face additional fines. Prescott could also be fined, especially in the league's ramped up efforts to shut down taunting. 

Teddy Ricketson

Teddy Ricketson is a Digital Content Producer at The Sporting News. He joined the team in 2024 after spending the last three years writing for Vox Media as part of its DK Nation/Network team. Teddy does his best to support the South Carolina Gamecocks and Carolina Panthers, but tends to have more fun cheering on the Atlanta Braves. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife, Brooke, and their two dogs, Bo and Hootie.